Spicy Mediterranean Watermelon Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

A ripe watermelon is supposed to sound hollow when you tap it and feel “heavy”. God luck with that. I have tapped, listened and “weighed” hundreds of watermelons over the years and still can’t get it right.

The only fool proof way to shop for a sweet watermelon is at food market where you can try a sample. Other than that you can only trust that your usual vendor has a trustworthy supplier of ripe fruit.

Feta cheese is closer to my purview. Not that my Greek ancestry or the fact that I grew up in Cairo has anything to do with it, it is just that the difference between a good and mediocre feta is more obvious.

Real Feta cheese is made from sheep’s milk, often blended with goat milk. The US has no labeling laws governing Feta cheese so the brands you are likely to buy in most supermarkets have been blended with less flavorful cows milk. 

Dodoni is the only Feta cheese brand I have come across in the US that is worth buying. It is the best selling brand in Greece and is boxed in brine to keep it moist. It is so smooth and creamy that I keep up to three boxes in the spare fridge. It is a little pricey though.

Costco has a reasonable Kirkland brand and a good fall back is Feta cheese bought from Middle Eastern food stores. They too are usually packed in brine and you often have a choice of Bulgari or French feta that do vary in taste and texture.

Supermarket brands are just not up to the real thing, even the ones packaged in brine. They are often too firm, dry and salty and above all, avoid the already crumbled variety. If you have tasted real Feta cheese and crumbled it for use in salads, you will see what I mean.

I say all this because one of my favorite summertime salads is watermelon with Feta cheese. I love how the creamy texture and salty flavor of the Feta contrasts with the chilled, sweet freshness of the watermelon and yes the trick is to have the watermelon well chilled.

Here is one recipe with a twist. Taking a tip from Mexican cuisine, the watermelon is liberally sprinkled with chilli pepper flakes.   I use Aleppo pepper because I like its smokey taste and it provides just enough heat for me but any chili pepper will do. The Feta cheese is dusted with dried oregano, the traditional herb Greeks use with Feta cheese. For a bit of a crunch, add slices of Persian cucumber ( because they are crispier than regular cucumbers) and shredded mint leaves for a cool flavor.

So while watermelon is still in season, try this delightful summer salad. It is a great side dish with grilled meat or poultry and at home on hot summer nights we often have it on its own for a light dinner.

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